Hanzō of the Salamander, My Prey

The next day, when Uchiha Gen arrived at the command center with Princess Tsunade, the room was already packed with people.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru, two of the Sannin, were present, along with an old acquaintance from the Land of Wind battlefield, Nara Rurin, and several other ninja with whom Uchiha Gen was unfamiliar.

After the situation on the Land of Wind battlefield stabilized, he had been brought along by Princess Tsunade.

After all, although Orochimaru was the commander of the Land of Rain front, everyone knew that while he was brilliant, he certainly lacked the strategic command capabilities of a ninja from the Nara Clan.

Having a Nara serve as the military strategist was the consensus among all Konoha ninja.

As Uchiha Gen walked into the tent, he instantly drew the gaze of everyone inside.

After all, to them, Uchiha Gen's combat record was truly somewhat exaggerated.

For a genius, especially one who had already matured, it was only natural to show goodwill; thus, everyone in the tent nodded in acknowledgment.

"Now, aside from those specifically assigned to organize the logistical retreat, everyone else is here, so let us begin the deployment for the decisive battle.

Everyone look here. According to intelligence from our scouts, we have a clear picture of the current state of Amegakure. Given the goal of the one who initiated this war, he will inevitably choose one of the three parties to launch a suicide attack to bring the conflict to an end.

Based on the profiling conducted by Inoichi, his target is highly likely to be our Konoha. As for the reason... there is no need to discuss that here.

Therefore, to cope with Amegakure's final offensive and to prevent other ninja villages from interfering while Konoha and Amegakure engage in their final showdown, we have made some preparations.

Everyone look here. This area borders the territory of the Land of Fire and is filled with limestone caves of various sizes, making it highly suitable for hiding or setting up ambushes. Remember this location.

Because this is where we will be stationed after all logistics have retreated, and it is also our final safeguard and defensive line should the worst-case scenario occur."

After nodding slightly to Uchiha Gen, Nara Rurin tapped the map behind him and spoke with a grave expression, drawing everyone's attention back to himself.

Once Nara Rurin finished speaking, the entire command center erupted in a buzz of activity; after all, a strategy involving retreat was not something everyone could easily accept.

Having the logistics department retreat early meant that all the burdens generated by the fighting would fall squarely on the frontline combatants. Should injuries occur, they would have to handle them on their own.

Furthermore, since not everyone was privy to the contents of yesterday's meeting, some were deeply confused by Nara Rurin's decision.

However, confusion was one thing, but no one dared to jump out and object. After all, he was the head of the Nara Clan, and in a sense, one of the smartest individuals the clan had to offer.

Whoosh!

A terrifying killing intent mixed with chakra erupted suddenly, instantly silencing the noisy command center.

"Quiet! Just listen; all you need to do is execute."

Beside Nara Rurin, Orochimaru stood with his arms crossed and spoke coldly. Clearly, the killing intent just now was the result of his doing.

"Hmm? This Orochimaru... he has truly reached the same level of strength as the Old Man."

Princess Tsunade watched Orochimaru, who had suddenly unleashed his chakra, a flash of realization crossing her eyes.

Tsunade was not surprised that Orochimaru had reached Kage-level strength; after all, even she had to admit that among the three of them, Orochimaru was undoubtedly the one with the highest talent.

"Ahem, everyone, please remain calm. I understand your concerns, but rest assured, Orochimaru and I have already made... well, preparations for the issues you are worried about."

Nara Rurin cleared his throat, pulling the atmosphere of the command center back from the low pressure, and continued.

"Then how should we deal with Hanzo of the Salamander? With his strength, if he appears on the battlefield, he will cause significant damage to our Konoha.

On the battlefield, his poison is very difficult for us to handle. Once poisoned, we can only rely on Princess Tsunade for treatment, but that would leave her restricted by the wounded. Senior Rurin, do you have a plan to deal with Hanzo of the Salamander?"

At this moment, a ninja with light blue hair in the command center spoke up.

"It is Dan... I have thought about this as well..."

"Leave the interception of Hanzo of the Salamander to me."

Nara Rurin turned to look at the ninja who had spoken, intending to explain, when Orochimaru's icy voice rang out.

"Ahahaha, I won't let you have all the glory. How could such a thing happen without me, Lord Jiraiya?"

"I will entrust Sage Katsuyu to help look after the wounded on the battlefield. I will also join in to deal with Hanzo of the Salamander."

As Orochimaru's voice faded, the voices of Princess Tsunade and Jiraiya rang out simultaneously. It seemed that something called fate was silently pulling at the threads of destiny.

Watching this from the side, Uchiha Gen curled the corner of his lips.

"Hanzo of the Salamander is my prey."

The next moment, Uchiha Gen's voice, filled with excitement and fighting spirit, followed.

Facing the words of this ten-year-old boy, not a single ninja in the command center looked down on him. Geniuses were proud, and this was a genius of the Uchiha, no less.

"Lord Gen, facing a powerhouse like Hanzo of the Salamander, one mistake and you will die."

Watching the boy with the fighting spirit on his face, Orochimaru, arms crossed, spoke mockingly.

"Is that so? It's a pity that even if Senior Orochimaru dies, I likely won't. You... what do you think?"

Uchiha Gen's voice came from behind, causing Orochimaru's body to stiffen. Several black snakes slid from his sleeves to coil toward his back, but they struck nothing but air.

Looking up, he saw that Uchiha Gen had already returned to Princess Tsunade's side, calmly playing with a kunai.

Flying Thunder God Technique... but when did he mark the spot behind me? Uchiha Gen... interesting...

Looking at the kunai in Uchiha Gen's hand, Orochimaru's snake-like pupils constricted. He flicked his wrist to retract the black snakes and licked his lips.

"I think Lord Gen is quite right."

A smile rose on Orochimaru's face, but it was a smile that made one's blood run cold.